It Started With Three Simple Words
by xMeme
Summary: Sometimes,to make Ryoma admit his feelings for a certain pigtailed girl, he needs a little push. Kintarou volunteers to shove him.[kinryo friendship,references to ryosaku and kinsaku]


**Tennis no Oujisama (**c) Konomi Takeshi,JUMP,Shueisha

**It Started With Three Simple Words **

"I like her."

It all started with those three simple words.

Ryoma's brow furrowed as he moved the can of Fanta away from his lips, postponing his plan to take a sip of the grape-flavored soda. Turning to his left, he saw Kintarou staring far ahead; a dreamy expression was playing across his face.

Silently, the Tennis Prince followed the other boy's line of vision. Several feet away, he saw a girl with extraordinarily long pigtails, standing outside the tennis court where Seigaku had recently won a game. She looked like she was waiting for someone—her grandmother, he assumed.

"She is such a nice girl," Kintarou spoke again. "Do you know that yesterday, she wished me good luck on my game against Morikawa?"  
_Well,she wished me luck, too. Big deal,_ Ryoma mused as he drank his soda.

"Then, she gave me a box of those delicious rice cakes. She makes the best rice cakes, doesn't she?"

He did not answer. Instead, he tried to convince himself that he was not sulking because Kintarou received rice cakes and he didn't. Right, he didn't really care about that. No, that's not a pout on his lips. No way.

"And she's so cute, too!" Kintarou continued to ramble on. "Especially when she laughs."

Ryoma abruptly looked at Kintarou, pondering for a moment about what the other had said. Then, he returned his attention to the mahogany-haired girl up ahead. He had seen her smile for several times--shyly, sometimes apologetically. But he had never heard nor seen her laugh. She was never that carefree when she was with him. And strangely, that's making him feel a bit …envious.

_No, I can't be..._ Ryoma took a quick gulp pf his Fanta , attempting to drown the weird emotion plaguing him. He shouldn't be feeling this way; he had no reason to…

"A nice, cute girl who can cook---I've always wanted someone like her for a girlfriend." Kintarou grinned as he turned to him. "Ne, do you think she'll say yes if I ask her out?"

Ryoma tensed. Kintarou couldn't be serious, could he? He moved to face the other boy. Kintarou's eyes had the same look every time he was out to get something.

Yes, the Shitenhouji Regular was serious.

Ryoma tightly gripped his can of Fanta.

"Oi, didn't you hear what I said?' Kintarou asked as he nudged him on the arm." Do you think Sakuno-chan will say yes if I ask her out?"

As much as Ryoma hated to admit it (especially vocally) but Kintarou was quite likable (though he could be annoying at times), and judging by how friendly they had become with each other, she just might agree.

But …

"You can't do that," he suddenly blurted out-and regretted that he did.

"Eh? Why not,Koshimae?" Kintarou wrinkled his forehead.

Ryoma remained silent and continued to drink his Fanta.

"Why not,Koshimae?" Kintarou persisted. But silence was the only thing he received as a reply.

Seeing that Ryoma had no plans of answering him, Kintarou shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "Well, if you aren't going to tell me, I might as well proceed to asking Sakuno-chan out…"

He raised himself off the bench and put his right foot forward, giving the impression that he was indeed planning to approach Sakuno. When there was still no reaction from Ryoma, he put his left foot forward. It took Kintarou three small steps before Kintarou finally heard Ryoma's voice.

"I…"

Kintarou looked back.

"I like Ryuuzaki, too," Ryoma spoke almost too softly.

"What? I can't hear you, Koshimae. Can you speak a bit louder?"

"I said I like Ryuuzaki too!"

Kintarou's grin faded as a moment of silence came in between them. He eventually broke the taciturnity.

"Let me get this straight---I can't ask Sakuno-chan out just because you like her as well? Aren't you being selfish?"

"And if I say I am?"

Kintarou could recognize that tone. Without a doubt, it was Ryoma's dangerous 'don't mess with me' tone.

"Geez, I never expected you were _this_ possessive."

The Shitenhouj Regular could not stop himself from chuckling. This earned a confused look from his Seigaku rival.

"Oi, what's so funny?"

Instead of answering, Kintarou proceeded to walk towards the nearest waste basket to throw his empty soda can.

"Hey,Koshimae…" he started to say as he slowly turned to face the raven-haired tennis prodigy." Are you planning to tell, Sakuno-chan?"

Ryoma was slightly taken aback by the question. Would he tell her? _Could_ he tell her? He may be a genius in tennis but he was a beginner in this kind of thing. "…I don't know." It seemed like the appropriate response at that moment.

"Aha! I knew it." Kintarou smirked as he took something out of his jacket pocket.

Ryoma's eyes widened upon seeing what the small, black device was. He spit out a curse.

_"What? I can't hear you, Koshimae. Can you speak a bit louder?"_

"I said I like Ryuuzaki too!"

"...You set me up."Ryoma's eyes narrowed.

Kintarou laughed. "Gotcha!" He said teasingly, before he turned towards the direction of the pigtailed girl and shouted her name to call her attention. "Sakuno-chan!!!"

And that was all Ryoma needed to make him dash after Kintarou.

It seemed Shitenhouji would have to make it through with their matches later with their captain incapacitated.

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"Sakuno-chan!!!"

Ryuuzaki Sakuno jerked a bit upon hearing someone yell her name. She searched for the direction where the call came from. She smiled when she saw that it was Kintarou. She raised a hand to wave, but stopped midway, when the redhead began running away; a boy wearing a white cap was hot on his trail.

An amused expression appeared on her face as she watched Ryoma. He surely had changed in the past three years. She guessed being friends with Kintarou was bringing out his new sides. Only the redhead could instill that kind of reaction to the normally calm Tennis Prince.

Still smiling, she wondered what Kintarou did this time.

**Fin.**

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**Author's Note:**This has to be the sixth fic I've written that has KinSakuRyo-ish stuff.Gosh, I'm obsessed with this combination.XD 

Anyway,thank you for reading

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